Fide et Amor
by Jolanikati
Summary: A story where Kurapika is a noble and Chrollo was his childhood friend. Somewhat of a medieval AU. - Written for HxHBB! Cover image provided by the lovely and talented saba-moon from tumblr!
1. Prologue

"You promise you'll come back?" huffed a small child, his blonde hair shining in the mid-afternoon sun.

"Yes, I pinky promise," said the taller one as he knelt down to the other's height.

"Nu-uh, that won't do!" The boy shook his head furiously, his hair whipping around his face, "it has to be stronger than that."

"Stronger than a pinky promise?" the other boy asked incredulously as he tilted his head, the hair he had attempted to slick back with water falling loose.

"Yes! And it's only for the most super important of promises!"

"Really? Do tell."

"Well," the blonde looked bashfully away as he began to play with the bottom of his tunic. "My mama told me that for it to work you have to trust the other person, and not like a little bit, but like, _a lot_."

"No problems there then," the dark haired boy chirped, putting a fist to his chest, "I trust you one hundred and ten percent!"

"That's pretty big," the shorter one said in awe, but the shook his head of the number, "Then it'll definitely work! But first, you have to close your eyes!"

"Huh? What for?"

"It's so the magic can work! That way the fairies know that you trust me!" the younger one said, a smile on his face he informed him on the etiquette of his form of promises.

The taller boy started to laugh, complying to the blonde's wishes.

"Of course, how could I forget?" he asked rhetorically, wondering what it was that the young noble had come up with this time.

"Are you ready?" He heard the other whisper nervously after a slight pause.

"Kurapika," he called softly, not wanting to scare him away, "everything will be fine. After all, I trust you."

"But Chrollo, what if it doesn't work?"

He resisted the urge to open his eyes and just hug him, instead he opted for a clever retort.

"It can't work if we don't ever try." He heard the boy gasp in realization, like he had experienced the most enlightening epiphany.

"You're right! So does that mean you're ready?"

"Whenever you are." he replied, still not sure what to expect. This time there was no pause, and Chrollo then felt a small and fierce presence on his lips which caused him to snap open his eyes to look at the noble in front of him, whose cheeks were dusted red, a grin spread across his face.

"See? If a promise is sealed with a kiss then it's sure to come true!"

Chrollo couldn't help but laugh at the simple explanation, but accepted it nonetheless.

"Absolutely, now how about we spend the rest of the day together before I leave?"

The noble giggled ecstatically, taking Chrollo's hand enthusiastically and dragging him back towards the Kurtan estate.

Chrollo would miss spending every day here, but he knew it was important to do his part in rising through the family's ranks to reach his ultimate goal: protecting Kurapika.


	2. Chapter 1

The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the courtyard, two combatants vigorously dueling with their sabers, dodging thrusts and parrying attacks before the tip of a blade had a chance to snag at their clothes.

"You seem to be getting better, my liege."

"I'd have to say the same to you Chrollo." The blonde grunted, shifting behind a statue to avoid the swing of a blade. "Though it seems like you're a bit slow today." He twirled around the pillar, thrusting his sword towards his opponent.

Chrollo dodged, chuckling as he did. "You know, I take back what I said." They crossed swords, the tips moving towards the sky as the competed with their strength instead, pushing against each other in hopes that their opponent would give out first. "You've still got a long way to go." He side stepped, letting Kurapika stumble forward without anything to counter him. "I think I win today's match, so let's go back and clean up, shall we?"

The noble sighed in defeat as he got to his feet. "So what does that make this, 32-36?"

"Oh no, I've won way more than 32, especially if you include the magic competitions."

"Well yeah, I know that I'm beaten there, but I've always been more skilled with the sword than you have."

"True. I'll settle at 34-36 then, how's that?"

"A two point jump?" Kurapika punched Chrollo in the shoulder playfully, the other wincing.  
"Well, I suppose I could allow that for my favorite retainer."

"I'm your _only_ retainer."

"Precisely." They both laughed as they walked away from the training grounds, sheathing their swords and settling into comfortable conversation, the butlers cleaning up the broken remains of the pots they had massacred earlier in their fight.

"So, I heard from your parents that you've got some sort of arrangement with a foreign princess."

"Oh right," The blonde pushed his bangs back from his head, "About that, I'm not really interested."

"Really?" Chrollo inclined his head, "but, isn't this a huge deal if you guys can get engaged?"

Kurapika glanced at his retainer. He tried to look for the reasoning of his question, but could only find pure curiosity in his eyes. He sighed once more, casting his gaze to the ground. "I'm going to be completely honest, her personality is quite dull. She's pretty, yes, but I couldn't entice even a single intellectual conversation from her."

"It's hard to find any lady like that in these times," Chrollo commented, stopping in the middle of the walkway to think. "The only one that I know to keep up with your conversations would be the handmaiden, Melody.'

"And she's quite the exception might I add."

"Not that you'd be allowed to wed her." Chrollo joked as Kurapika rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't want to, and," the blonde looked around quickly, ignoring the strange look his retainer gave him. "You know what? Not here, follow me." He commanded, though didn't really give the other a choice since he had grabbed his wrist as he took him into the closest building. They passed by some guards, who gave a quick nod or salute before continuing on their way, a few snickering at Chrollo's predicament. After going up a winding staircase and down a couple corridors, they entered a small but comfortable room, the red curtains over the window casting a dull, warm light throughout the room.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone," Kurapika said as he shut the door, locking it with a key from his pocket.

"That's fine," Chrollo managed before raising an eyebrow at his liege, "but why in such a secluded area? I understand that you don't want others to hear, but it couldn't be so bad that you-," he paused, seeing the look that Kurapika was giving him. "Oh, that bad, huh?"

"Very much so."

"I'm not going to have to seal my promise with kiss, am I?" Chrollo snickered as the noble turned red with embarrassment . The boy quickly recovered from the memory, taking a sudden interest in the decorations on the wall.

"Well, not unless you want to that is," he muttered, avoiding eye contact of his retainer. He didn't want to look, but he could tell that he had heard what he said since he heard him splutter a bit, probably unable to conjure up a good retort. The blonde waved a hand, forcing the blush on his cheeks to recede. "I simply jest, I think a pinky swear will do here." He extended his hand, coughing into his hand to regain his retainer's attention.

Chrollo met him halfway. They linked their pinkies together, shaking it once firmly before retreating to themselves.

"Okay, so what is it?"

Despite the door being locked, Kurapika still felt anxious about just saying it aloud: one could never tell who was listening. He stepped forward, beckoning Chrollo to bend down. He complied and the noble cupped a hand around his mouth, leaning in as close as he dared. He took a deep breath, willing himself to be calm as he whispered what had been burdening him for several years at this point.


	3. Chapter 2

"He's gay!"

"And this means what?" Feitan crossed his arms, looking up as his adopted brother waved his arms around.

"Fei, this means I have a chance!"

"Yes, I do suppose so, but weren't you not suppose to tell anyone?"

"Technically, you don't exist." He pointed out as Feitan puffed out his cheeks, opting to lean against his bed frame.

"Point taken." He unfolded his arms to rest them at his hips, "but what do you want me to do with this information? Try to be your wingman?"

"Well, I mean, kind of?" Chrollo ran a hand through his hair, the hair immediately falling back into his face. "If you could that would be great, but honestly I couldn't have told anyone else, and I really needed to get that off my chest."

"It's not exactly an accepted norm, you're right, but even if I help you out, and let's say you even get together, what then? This won't exactly fly well, even if he is the second son."

"Technically the first, Shalnark is his cousin." Chrollo mentioned out of habit, then groaned, falling back onto his bed. "Oh gods, that just makes it worse doesn't it?" Feitan hummed his confirmation, a frown on his face.

"I don't mind helping you out, but you need to know what you're about to get yourself into. Not only is it risky and dangerous for you, but for him as well. The fact that he's come out to you means he trusts you, it's best not to try to jump onto the situation too quickly, or to bring it back up too hastily." Feitan sighed, putting two fingers to his forehead. "This will be a game of precise decision making and you'll need to figure out a way around the… political stuff." The assassin waved a hand in the air, as if to personify said political stuff. "Either way, this won't be easy, and we'll both have to do our part."

Chrollo smiled, sitting up to muss Feitan's hair, who protested but made no move to avoid the touch. "Thanks for helping me out lil' bro."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." He grinned back, pushing the retainer aside, a soft thump indicating his collision into his mattress. "Just don't get to thinking I'll be doing this type of thing every time." Chrollo laughed from his spot on the bed, making Feitan turn, his mouth still turned up in a smile. "What?"

"You're such a softie, not to mention you say something along those line each time you do something to help me out."

"Do not!"

"What about the time with the kitten?"

"That was different. I'd prefer animals to humans any day, at least with an animal their intentions are pretty clear, humans are far too complex for my liking." Feitan wrinkled his nose, "You and I are no exception of course: we know how to avoid the public eye, we deceive others into thinking we're someone we're not, and we-"

"Are not who we use to be." Chrollo cut him off, sitting up to face his brother, his face drawn into disapproval. "Our past does not define us Feitan. It doesn't matter what we've done so long as we're making an effort to live a better life now. And we've talked about this negative thing, it needs to stop."

"I know," he looked to Chrollo with a pained expression, "but if you're serious about being with Kurapika, you know you'll have to tell him about what we've done, right?"

The retainer sighed, looking away. "All will come in time, there's no need to bring it up right now."

"Or is it," Feitan mused aloud, pushing himself off the bed frame. "He told you a secret, maybe you can return the favor?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait, what happened to not bringing it up for a while?"

The assassin shakes his head, "Even if it seems trivial, this might just spark something. After all, it's easier to tend to a fire than start one." When Feitan looked back with a beaming smile, Chrollo didn't have the heart to disagree, especially not when his brother's plans usually worked themselves out favorably. Defeated, he nodded his head, Feitan's delight growing with the approval.

"Alright, I'll give it a try."


	4. Chapter 3

The next day Chrollo had ended up sleeping in, consequently losing his chance to speak with the young noble at breakfast. Usually he would be able to train with Kurapika in the afternoon, but since before lunch he had been caught up with reports that needed to be filled out and was unable to see him again. He sighed over his paperwork, looking out the window to see that most of the day had passed away with little progress on the plan. He got up and stretched, rolling his neck to relieve it of tension when a knock came from the door.

"Come in," he called, as he settled back into his stiff office chair.

"I thought you would be in here," Kurapika strode in, glancing around his room quickly, "I was wondering why you hadn't come down to the training field earlier today."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Chrollo scratched at the back of his head, suddenly unsure of whether or not to go through with the plan, "I've been working on these for the majority of my day. I basically rolled out of bed and started on these since I woke up so late." He couldn't be for certain, but he thought he saw a flash of relief in the Kurta's eyes, but it was soon gone, no evidence left of whether he had seen right or not. An odd pause passed between them, Chrollo unsure if he should continue with his papers or attempt to engage in what would, at this point, be awkward conversation.

"So about yesterday," the retainer looked up quickly, surprised that the boy would bring it up, "just," he faltered, turning away from Chrollo, some blush creeping up his neck as he leaned on the side of the desk, "forget I ever said anything, okay?"

"I'm sorry," he heard himself saying before he could think through it, "I don't think I'll be able to do that." He saw the noble stiffen, and he _really_ needed to work on explaining things first. "I don't intend to give what you said away to anyone if that's what you think, but I do feel obligated to tell you something in return."

Kurapika shook his head, a dangling, ruby earring on his left ear bouncing back forth as he did so. "You really don't need to," he began, his hands raised.

"You're right," Chrollo interrupted, taking one of the blonde's hands in his own, "but I want to. Please," he added, after he saw a form of fear flicker across his expression, "I trust you." The blonde shifted, but eventually agreed to stay, sitting down in a chair next to his table. Another silence passed without either of them saying anything, a nightingale's' song echoing in the distance.

"It's getting dark out, I'll go get a candle." the noble remarked, standing.

"No, it's alright, you can get the lantern." Kurapika raised an eyebrow, curious. "You're worth burning the oil for," Chrollo had replied simply, smiling as he noted the unique shade of crimson the noble's cheeks glowed in the afternoon sun. He swiftly exited the room, Chrollo sighing when the door closed. How was he going to avoid messing this up? He stared at the things on his desk, a now hazardous pile of untidy papers threatening to spill over the edges. He stood up once more, properly stretching this time as he began gathering what he could off of the wooden surface. When Kurapika returned, he had put away his written assignments, clearing the table to utilize more for conversation than for work. Chrollo beamed at him when he came in, the blonde smiling warmly back as he set the lantern on the table.

"So, what is it you were so keen on telling me about?"

"My past," he started slowly, testing out the waters before he continued. "I wanted to tell you how I came here, and what I did after I left you."

Kurapika nodded, readjusting himself in the chair. "While I'm sure you've had a lot of time to think about this, I'd like to ask of you to keep it short for tonight." The boy smiled apologetically, "Melody'll want to wake me up early tomorrow."

"Wait, what for?" Chrollo tilted his head, and Kurapika giggled. _Giggled_.

"Melody likes to think that when it's my birthday that I should be among the first of the living creatures awake so I can "enjoy my day to the fullest" as she so often likes to put it." Chrollo watched as the blonde continued to laugh at his predicament, while Chrollo tried to even remember what month it was, and yup, he had almost forgotten his crush's birthday. Way to go. He joined in on the laughter, adding a sarcastic "Classic Melody," comment, making the noble spiral back into a giggling fit as he tried to stifle the sound.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I got us off topic there, please, tell me about your past."

Chrollo nodded, feeling a lot better about this plan than he had when the blonde had originally come in. "Before I came here to the manor, I was an orphan. I do not remember my birth parents in the slightest, only the people who eventually took me in and called me their own. That family was a kind woman, who I can only recall as Mom, and her son, my friend and brother, Feitan." He saw Kurapika react to the name, but continued on, leaning back in his chair.

"I lived with them up till the village itself burnt down during a bandit raid. Feitan and I lost our mother in the fires, and we had to resort to a life of thievery to get by. We got quicker by the day, discovering and polishing different tactics on how to steal more efficiently. It wasn't the way to live, but it was the only way we knew without our mother there. One day, I tried to steal from a cart that was under the protection of your household.

"I could've never known that of course. I had been born and raised in a rural countryside and knew nothing of how to distinguish a logo from a noble seal. In short, I was caught, and brought to this very house to be sentenced. No doubt though, that had you not intervened, I might've lost my hands that day." He chuckled as he saw Kurapika's eyes widen. "I take it you don't remember then?" The blonde shook his head, urging him to go on.

"Well, by the time I had reached here, I was too in awe with my surroundings to struggle. Your place was like nothing I had ever seen at that point, and I didn't even notice that you were in front of me until I realized I had stopped moving, since neither of the two guards escorting me wanted to upset you. You obviously had not not seen anything like me as well with how you looked at me, the same way most people would look at treasure. I was foreign and interesting, and you were quite determined to make sure I didn't go. At your plea, they released me and allowed me to accompany you for the rest of the day. Due to your continued insistence, that day turned into a week, that turned into a month, and then they slowly figured out that you weren't going to give up the only peer social interaction you had.

"At that point, they had to approach your parents, because my presence was having an impact on you. You had begun to act more on what you believed, like I did at the time, rather than what you were taught, but they had also seen you smile and laugh more within that month of me being there than anything else, so they decided to cut me some slack and send me off to train to be a knight."

"Wait, then why aren't you a knight now?" Kurapika questioned, breaking his silence.

"That's where the guilt comes in," he smiled bitterly, "though if I hadn't done what I did, I may have never made it back to you."

"I see…" The noble closed his eyes, thinking about what he had said so far. "You know what? I think I'm good."

"What?" Chrollo perked up, surprised by what he had said. "What do you mean good?"

"Good as in I don't feel the need to listen to the rest of your past. It's intriguing, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to hear about what you did while I wasn't there."

Chrollo floundered for an answer, not quite sure what this meant. He looked at the blonde, trying to comprehend but all he could manage out was a small "Why?"

A sly smile graced the noble's lips as he parted them to speak. "A mutual friend told me that our pasts do not define who we are, but rather what we are doing now to change the future."

Feitan.

"So you've met him then?" Chrollo managed as he recovered from Kurapika's information, surprised that the phrase he had said just yesterday had already gotten back around to him.

"Indeed I have, but I believe we're out of time," the noble said, nodding his head towards the lantern, the flicker of the flame inside having dulled significantly since the start of the conversation. Kurapika picked it up, twirling to face the door as he went to show himself out. "And so until tomorrow, adieu." He walked out, the door shutting softly behind and leaving the room in darkness, the glow of the moon illuminating part of his walkway to his bed. He smiled to himself, happy with the end product of their conversation. In the dark he whispered to himself, his own belated parting words.

"Good night, Kurapika."


	5. Chapter 4

Parties were nice every once in awhile, and were kind of required for a big occasion, but he could never understand how his parents could corale so many people into thinking his birthday was an important event to them.

He sighed, watching the people on the dance floor in front of him. Even his personal tutor, Mizuken, looked like he was enjoying the party more than he was. Kurapika sighed again, the action catching his mother's attention, which he tried to brush off with a quick "It's nothing." She furrowed her brow at him, trying to find a solution to a problem she wasn't totally aware of. Then a look of realization hit her, and she laughed to herself behind a fan before turning to his father.

Kurapika had not the slightest clue of what she was doing. His mother had always been eccentric, and being a noble had only enabled her to be keep such a personality. He loved his mother dearly, but sometimes he couldn't help feel scared when he saw that mischief twinkle in her eyes, the very ones that were now looking straight back at him eagerly.

"Kurapika, do you think-"

"I could get you some juice?" The blonde prompted in hopes of avoiding whatever she was about thinking of suggesting. She pursed her lips, understanding what he was doing.

"Yes, but afterwards I want you to meet this lovely young girl from the Zoldyck family!" Kurapika's eyes must have betrayed something because she laughed, waving her fan in front of her face. "Don't you worry my dear, she's already being courted. I just thought that you should at least familiarize yourself with the the Zoldyck who did bother to arrive, even if she is the fourth in line."

The noble relaxed, nodding, and went off to the punch bowl, grateful to finally have something to do.

"You know you don't have to stand next to your mom, right?" He looked over his shoulder at Chrollo, who stood with a hand resting on his sword as he grinned at him.

Kurapika's heart fluttered and he made sure to set the cup he had gone to fill down before speaking.

"You mean my mother?"

"Yeah, I mean, it is your birthday and there's nothing binding you to her side."

The blonde laughed, turning back to the juice to fill the cup. "Have you ever thought of it as a defense mechanism?"

"Defense? Like, you're on guard or something?" He asked, leaning against the table.

"In a sense, yes. For the most part, my mother is very protective of me and gives off a bit of a menacing aura," Kurapika laughed, recalling a specific time at his thirteenth birthday where she had walked over to a group girls and told them not to ever approach him if they valued their lives. He hadn't been there, but Melody had seen it go down and later informed him of the incident.

"She cares for me more than she lets on, and we both understand that the public view is far harder to maintain than a personal one, so we make sure not to change any of traditions, no matter how oddly formed." His retainer nodded, putting a hand to his chin.

"Well it certainly does make sense." Chrollo said, following the noble as he made his way back to his mother.

"I hoped it would. With any luck, I'll be able to avoid dancing with anyone today as well." He felt a nudge on his shoulder and looked up to see a grinning Chrollo.

"Even if that dance was with me?" He felt his face heat up, but before he could retort he heard his mom call out to him, and he shuffled forth to deliver her the cup.

"Oh thank you my dear, it was getting so lonely while you were gone. Your father even left me to go discuss business with some of the other gentlemen." She put a hand to her cheek, but then looked back up at his retainer, who smiled politely at her.

"Lucilfer," she said, a polite smile forming on her lips.

"Lady Anahita," he bowed his head to her, mimicked her expression, "how may I serve you?"

"How coy," she turned back to Kurapika, who all of a sudden felt very see-through. "You chose well my dear, I feel like he might as well be my own son." He felt his face heating up at the comment, barely hearing Chrollo respond with how generous his mother was being, and that he would be delighted to be considered family. The laughter only intensified when his mother noticed how red he was, which no doubt had spread to his neck and ears as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, we're teasing you a bit too much aren't we?" She patted his head as if it would some how get him to relax. "Go see if you can find the Zoldyck I was telling you about and find someone to dance with, I mean it's your twentieth birthday, you might as well enjoy it."

"Thanks Mama," he said, leaning in to hug her. She reciprocated the action, rubbing his back encouragingly before they separated, "I'll do what I can."

"Then that's all that matters." She smiled before moving to grab at Chrollo's sleeve, beckoning him closer so she could whisper something into his ear. Kurapika drew his eyebrows together, not sure what she could possibly say that would be leaving Chrollo tinged pink in the cheeks and with a look in his eyes that suggested his soul might soon be departing. He locked eyes with Kurapika, then quickly glanced away, thanking his mother for the advice and promising to use it in the future.

Chrollo sped past Kurapika, leaving the blonde to wave a small goodbye to his mother before he caught back up to his retainer, who was regaining his normal color. He thought about asking what she had said to him, but shook his head, knowing that he shouldn't bring it up then. He'd ask him later.


	6. Chapter 5

As the night dwindled on, the party seemed to slow down: guests opting to return a little earlier so that they would make it back to their estate in time to properly sleep, others choosing to stay the night at a local hotel instead, and then some chose to simply stay over at the manor. Namely the Zoldyck siblings.

In the beginning, the fourth child, Alluka Zoldyck had been the other one there, but she had later been joined by her older brother and first in line for their father's title, Killua.

Thankfully, both of the individuals were intelligent; Alluka a bit sheltered from the outside world but extensively smart in other topics nonetheless. They got along with Kurapika well, so much so that he had told them they were welcome to stay the night. Alluka, who rarely left her own manor, didn't need to do much convincing with Killua, who jumped at the idea of a sleepover.

"You know, I've had people over at our place, but I've never been outside our estate for something like this, right Alluka?"

The girl nodded, bubbling with joy.

"If it makes any difference," Kurapika started a bit nervously, moving to scratch the back of his neck. "I haven't ever had any people over before, so this is a first for me too."

They both gasped, looking at each other excitedly.

"We'll have so much to tell you about!" Killua started, waving his hands around as if he didn't know what to do with them.

"And we can teach you so many games that we've come up with," the girl cheered, her eyes growing wide.

"I can introduce you to some of my favorite snacks that I brought along!"

"And I can try to read your fortune!"

Chrollo laughed watching their interactions, causing them to look up at him. He waved a hand in front of his face, trying to cease his laughter.

"No no, please, go on. This is very amusing to me," he got out before laughing again. "I'm sorry, just, your type of genuinity is usually lost amongst others in the noble class and this is honestly some of the purest interactions I've seen in a long time."

"Long time, huh?" Killua asked, a wicked grin growing on his face. "How old does that make you then?"

"Only twenty-nine."

"Oh, I'm surprised you're not married already then."

"I would not abandon my liege like that. My first and only priority is to him."

Killua gave him a look of suspicion, then looked over at Kurapika and grinned mischievously. Alluka, on the other hand, was delighted.

"That's so sweet of you!" She exclaimed, taking his hands into her own. "You remind me of one of the butlers back at our manor, and she's amazing! Well, a lot of them are, but she's my favorite!"

"I'm glad that I remind you of such a wonderful sounding person." He replied smoothly, bowing slightly as tried to keep an eye on Killua, who had walked over to Kurapika and was whispering something to him. What was with everyone and their secrets lately?

"Hey! Alluka!" The girl turned, tilting her head.

"Yes big brother?"

"Let's go get ready for bed, that way we can spend as much time teaching them our games and staying up!" She clapped her hands together with enthusiasm, waving goodbye to them as Killua saluted them in a casual manner before finding the exit to the ballroom, a maid offering to show them to their bedrooms.

And that's when Chrollo realized what he had done. Turning quickly, he realized that he and Kurapika were the only ones left in the grand room, most of the cleaning staff working on the reception area since people has been occupying it up till a few minutes ago. He turned back towards Kurapika, a strange sense of elation blooming in his chest.

This was his chance.

"Kurapi-"

"Would you like to dance?" The blonde asked suddenly, both of them being shocked by the sudden leap in conversation.

"I… what?" Chrollo's voice echoed through the ballroom, his body frozen at the question. Had he heard him right? Maybe it was a trick question, or maybe it was a joke? He couldn't tell. They stood there for a bit, neither of them moving for a good while before Kurapika started again, this time more confident, even if his voice wavered a bit and his face was starting to take on a flattering shade of red.

"I asked if you would like to dance with me?"

Chrollo couldn't believe what was happening… was this _really_ happening? His mind was rushing everywhere and he had to force himself to just _stop._ He instead smiled, taking a step forward and pulling the noble in close, hugging him.

"You should've asked sooner, we could've had an audience."

He felt Kurapika relax against him, embracing him back.

"No way in hell."

Chrollo chucked, his hand wandering up to pet at the blonde's hair.

"You wanna know what your mom told me?" He mused out loud, feeling Kurapika's hum of approval vibrate through his chest. This, this was nice.

"She told me," he said, playing with the blondes hair, the tresses smoothly slipping through his fingers, "that she knew how fond you were of me, and that taking care of you was no longer my first priority."

"Then what is?" Kurapika asked, pulling back just a bit so he could look at him. Gods, why was he so beautiful? Chrollo brought a hand to the blonde's face, cupping his cheek and gazing into his eyes.

"Now?" He chuckled, bringing their foreheads together, "my first priority is to love you." The blush on the noble's cheeks was more prominent than anytime beforehand, and it really was quite the sight to see. Kurapika looked down, biting his bottom lip as he fiddled with his clothes.

"Chrollo?"

"Yes?"

"How much do you trust me?"

Chrollo smiled softly, repeating what he had said over the years before. "One hundred and ten percent." He saw Kurapika grin to himself. The noble shifted his weight onto the other foot, breathing in slowly before he continued.

"Will you promise to stay with me?"

"I will stay by your side for as long as you allow me to." The blonde looked back up at him, eyes shining. "Do I have to close my eyes?" He chortled, Kurapika laughing at the comment.

"No, not unless you want to."

And then there lips met, softly, not rushed and forced like their first one had been. Chrollo did eventually close his eyes, letting himself melt in the pleasure of feeling so connected to him, to Kurapika; in the pleasure of his fingers that tangled into the blonde's hair to pull him closer, as if they weren't already close enough; in the pleasure that he was _finally_ , after so many years of pining and accepting that he would never be able to live alongside the one he truly loved, kissing them with the same urgency and desperation that they were. They broke, necessity for air winning over the want to continue. They breathed heavily for a while, Kurapika's arms having found a way to wrap themselves around his waist during the time they had made out, making them unable to move away, not that either of them wanted too.

"I hope," Chrollo started, slightly out of breath, "that this was successful in showing my loyalty to you?"

Kurapika laughed, quickly pecking him on the cheek, his own lips a bit red and swollen from the kissing. "Yes, I believe that was sufficient enough."

"And I can't believe you two finally got together," a voice said from the corner of the room. They immediately separated, twirling to face the person who had spoken.

"Whoa whoa, easy there, I'm not here to make fun of you. I'm quite sincere in saying that I'm glad you two finally got it past the awkward pining stage."

"Feitan!" Chrollo exclaimed, his face burning up, "Were you there the whole time?"

The assassin shrugged, looking disinterested as he approached the two distressed lovers. "I was, but most of it was too sickeningly sweet to listen to, so I tuned out for a bit. Though you should be grateful, I stopped the two Zoldyck brats from snooping."

"I knew he was up to something," the retainer looked back to Kurapika who strode past him to Feitan.

"Did you get what I asked for?"

"Hm? Oh yeah!" The dark man pulled out a small box, handing it over to the blonde. "Just as ordered," he winked, "though let me tell you, the gems were hard to find."

"I know it's not usual field of work, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"Always at your service." Feitan bowed with a hand over his chest.

"Wait, you've served Kurapika?" Chrollo stammered, looking at his brother incredulously.

"Almost as long as you have, though I never mentioned it because you have to remember, I don't exist."

Chrollo tried to think of something to say back, but failed, looking over at Kurapika, who approached him, his hand with the box in it outstretched.

"Here, it's for you."

He took the box cautiously, glancing at Feitan for maybe a hint of what it could be, but a scarf covered his lower face, hiding anything it might have given away. He looked back at the box, trying to figure out what it could possibly be. Lifting the lid, he was surprised to find two jade orb earrings, the dim lights in the room giving it an enchanting look.

"They're beautiful, but I don't understand, why give these to me now?"

He saw Feitan roll his eyes as Kurapika smiled kindly at him. "It's in celebration of us getting together." He answered shyly, trying to maintain eye contact while he spoke.

"I don't have anything to give you though," Chrollo panicked, feeling very underprepared for this situation. The noble laughed as he brought his hand up to his retainer's face.

"You gave me your love, and that is more than enough."

"Ugh, get a room you two!" An exclamation rang from across the room, the assassin gritting his teeth as Chrollo heard the distinct sound of shushing.

"You brat," Feitan muttered turning to the doorway where the two Zoldycks stood, Alluka blushing brightly as she smiled at the them and Killua taunting Feitan to come after him by making silly faces.

"Shh, c'mon big brother, we can ask about it later," Alluka commented, ushering Killua out of the door, "I'm so sorry he interrupted you guys! See you soon, okay?" They disappeared from view, Feitan brushing back his bangs, frustrated.

"I'll go entertain them for a while," he said, walking towards the door the two had been standing in, "so do your little dance thing and get ready for bed. I don't want this babysitting thing to become a habit."

"Hey, Fei." Chrollo called out to him, stopping him in his tracks as he inclined his head back just a bit, indicating that he was listening. "Thank you, for helping us get to where we are now."

"I didn't do anything," he responded, a little stuttery. "This was all you guys, not me." He waved a hand back, dismissing himself from their presence, "See ya!"

"So," Chrollo drawled, turning to Kurapika, "would you like to have that dance now?"

Kurapika nodded, brimming with happiness. "I would love to."

They came together, and while Chrollo was hypersensitive to the closeness he now shared with Kurapika, he found he didn't mind it at all. In fact, it was comforting and exhilarating all at the same time. The retainer started to hum, the both of the settling into a gentle swaying motion as they danced in lazy circles around the empty ballroom floor. Kurapika rested his head against Chrollo's chest again and he felt so blessed very in that moment.

"Hey, Kurapika?" The noble hummed in response.

"I love you." the blonde looked up at him, smiling as he pressed a small kiss against his lips.

"I love you too."


End file.
